The Proximity Effect
by PipedreamFantasy
Summary: This story begins around a year before the TV show. Elena is 16 years old and cannot get over the feeling that someone is watching her. Rated M for dark themes and language.


Summary: This story begins around a year before the TV show. Elena is 16 years old and cannot get over the feeling that someone is watching her.

Author's Note: This story won't particularly be a fluffy love story, as it is not really my style as I prefer stories to be dark with themes that would not be appropriate for everyone. So just to give a warning now, if that isn't your taste, I wouldn't recommend this is for you. This is quite a short first chapter which starts off quite light, but darker chapters are to come. But anyway, I hope whoever reads it enjoys it. Feel free to give me any pointers or suggestions.

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She could feel it again, that little prickle that travels up her spine, someone was watching her; she could sense it. Elena quickly turned her head, scanning her bedroom for any sign of strangeness but once again she found nothing. This feeling had been occurring a little too often lately and she feared that she was going a bit mad. Brushing the thought away she looked back down to her textbook and attempted to reread the chapter she had been assigned for homework for around the fifth time, this time really trying to concentrate and ignore that uncomfortable twinge in her stomach. No one was watching her, she was alone in her room, who could be?

"Osmosis is the process in which water moves from a higher concentration to a lower concentration," Elena read aloud, determined to make the information stick in her head. But alas that strange feeling in her stomach was making her feel anxious, and as she tossed her book aside and collapsed onto her bed, she recalled the strange deaths that had been occurring in Mystic Falls the last few months.

Three bodies had been found out in the vast woods around Mystic Falls in the last few months and although police denied that the attacks had been murder, she was certain it couldn't have been an animal. It had been reported that none of the bodies had been mauled, they had been drained. She shivered at the thought and turned onto her side. Deciding to keep her bedroom lamp on, Elena closed her eyes and gently fell to sleep.

xxx

She could feel it again. She felt that all too familiar tingle from the back of her neck all the way down her spine. Slowly, as to not attract any attention, she curiously glanced around the classroom but found that most of the students had their eyes down, following the chapter that Mr Tanner was reading. No one was looking at her. Scolding herself for giving into this stupid feeling again, she rested her chin on her knuckles and vaguely glanced out of the window.

She jumped abruptly, but quickly calmed herself as Mr Tanner threw her a confused look. Elena looked back outside. She could have sworn that she had seen someone right by the window, but by the time she had looked back, there wasn't a soul to be seen. She frowned and looked more carefully outside, scanning as far as she could see, hoping to find what had caught her attention.

"Miss Gilbert, could you please read where I left off?" Mr Tanner said loudly, using a short tone. Elena flinched and turned back to the front of class, flicking through her book trying desperately to find where Mr Tanner had left off. Realising that she had no idea, she looked to her teacher with a convincing look of guilt across her face.

"Uh, what part was that?" she asked as pleadingly as she could. Mr Tanner always seemed to have it in for her, and thus at her confession he smiled widely.

"Are you saying that you were not paying attention, Miss Gilbert?" he asked smugly, the enjoyment in his voice was all too clear.

"I was paying attention, Mr Tanner, I just got lost for a second," she explained trying to remain as polite as possible. He faked a laugh.

"Oh? You just got _lost_?" he mimicked condescendingly, "I think you were just not paying attention once again, which I think makes you deserving of another detention after school. At least then you'll be able to catch up," he finished with a very satisfied smile across his face.

"Yes, sir," she replied grimly. '_He definitely had it in for her',_ she thought in frustration. Sighing heavily she looked round to Matt, her boyfriend, who shot her a sympathetic look and she mouthed _'sorry'_. They were meant to spend time together after school before he had football practice, but there would be no time now that she had detention. It felt like they hadn't really hung out with each other in a while, they had both been so busy lately and she missed him.

Elena sighed once again and turned her attentions to silently calling Mr Tanner as many rude names as she could think of in her head.

xxx

She could feel it again. A gentle shiver spread across her body, as she paced quickly in order to get to home as fast as she could. She crossed her arms over her chest, quickening her pace and silently cursed Mr Tanner for making her stay so late after school; he was such an ass. _'This is ridiculous' _she thought, shaking her head attempting to rid herself of that strange feeling. Breathing slowly, she paused and slowly the feeling ebbed. She wouldn't be afraid of some silly feeling.

Striding more calmly now, Elena walked past the Mystic Falls graveyard and casually glanced into the misty cemetery as she strode. '_That is unusual,'_ she thought, pausing briefly at the gate looking at all the thick fog. Deciding the brush her curiosity aside, Elena began walking faster again, just noticing that the sun was already setting. She did not want to be outside by some creepy graveyard when it got dark. She quietly hummed to herself and thought about Matt.

She must have only walked a few metres past the cemetery when she saw a figure approaching. The fog had spread surprisingly far now that it even misted her path, so it was difficult to see too far in front. All she could see of the figure was a black silhouette. Her heart raced slightly, as her mind created images of some horrible monster out to get her. Gulping hard she tried to remain calm and reminded herself that it was probably just some random person hurrying to get home just like her. However, the figure didn't appear to be moving quickly, it seemed to move quite slowly in fact, becoming more and more clear the closer it got. By this point Elena could tell that this figure was indeed a person and her body relaxed. Smiling at her own stupidity Elena pulled her phone from her pocket in order to send her boyfriend a text.

'_I miss you, let's do something after school tomorrow x'_

She pocketed her phone and looked up only to find a young man she didn't recognise standing mere inches from her. If she had looked up a second later she would have surely crashed into him. Jumping backwards slightly in shock she held her hand over her heart.

"Oh, I'm sorry, you scared me," she said, laughing nervously despite herself. The man smirked and narrowed his eyes in what appeared to be interest.

"Oh? You think I am scary?" he asked clearly amused. Elena was surprised by his response and found the way he stared at her so intensely quite unnerving. He was a handsome guy, probably in his early twenties, but something seemed _off _about him, something she couldn't put her finger on.

"I just mean you surprised me," she corrected. The man's smile widened but he said nothing. There was a slight awkward pause where he had just locked his eyes with hers and she found herself quite unable to look away. He was definitely strange. "Well, uh, sorry about that, I need to get home now, so uh, sorry," she stuttered as she attempted to move past him, but he was quicker and blocked her path. Elena looked up at him in confusion and he simply tilted his head to the side in mock innocence.

"But we have only just met, don't you think we should get to know each other a bit?" he replied coolly. Elena slowly took a few steps back realising that this wasn't right, that _he _wasn't right. Something was wrong and all she wanted to do was run, but she felt stunned to the spot.

"Um well I would love to but I just don't have time right now, I'm about to meet my boyfriend," she stammered, trying to act as casual as possible. The smile faded from the man's face as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he said with no inclination in his voice. Elena nodded and faked a smile.

"Yeah, and he'll be worried if I'm late, so I have to go." Her heart was thumping wildly inside her chest and she could feel a large lump in her throat, she attempted to move past him but he moved just as she did, blocking her path once again. "Seriously, I need to go," she mumbled slightly more urgent now, feeling trapped. She looked up at him, and he stared with an undecided expression, before smirking.

"Okay, okay," he said holding his hands up in mock defeat "You go, and we can _catch-up _another time," he finished with a half-smile which made her feel uneasy.

"Oh yeah of course, um, I guess see you later then," she said quickly, hurriedly moving past him, thinking determinedly that she would never, ever willingly see this strange man again.

"I'll see you, Elena," she heard him say just behind her in a whisper a little too close to her ear. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly whipped around but he seemed to have left very quickly. _'How could he know my name?' _she thought briefly, feeling the fear bubble in her stomach, but only for a second before she sprinted all the way home not stopping even to catch her breath.


End file.
